Chilled Cucumber Soup
“Mistakes are great when you’re cooking. It’s a chance for a kid to problem solve and build confidence that they can work through it. And, kids will almost always like a food they made, even if it doesn’t taste great!”
Educator Dana Hudson has spent a lot of time cooking with students. She brought this enthusiasm for experimentation in the kitchen to a recent Northeast Farm to School Institute* workshop, where she and Shelburne Farms Farm Functions Chef Jackie Major taught educators how to bring more cooking into the classroom and connect kids to what they eat.
“When I’m working with adults to inspire them to cook more with kids, my big goal is to convey the importance of letting go. It’s all about giving kids the space to take healthy risks so they can show themselves they can handle a challenge.”
Jackie and Dana shared their favorite recipes to cook with kids, demonstrating how to both follow a recipe and adventurously "measure from the heart".
Try one of Chef Jackie’s recipes from the workshop, a chilled cucumber soup. It’s a simple preparation that leaves lots of room for experimentation, and it's bound to be a delicious lunch on a hot summer day.
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Sarah WebbThe soup was portioned out for test tastes for the Farm to School Institute participants, much like a school cafeteria does to introduce new menu items for students.
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Sarah WebbChef Jackie blends the ingredients for the soup. The milk works to bring the ingredients to a soup-like consistency, which can be adjusted to your liking when adding the Greek yogurt.
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Sarah WebbEducator Dana Hudson (far right) facilitates a workshop for educators focused on cooking with kids.
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Sarah WebbCongratulations to the 2025-206 Northeast Farm to School Institute cohort!
Chilled Cucumber Soup
Ingredients
- 4–6 cups cucumbers, peeled, seeds scooped out, roughly chopped (you can use any variety, but Jackie most prefers the fancy slicing variety)
- 1–2 cloves garlic
- 1 small onion, sliced (¼–⅓ cups)
- 4 sprigs dill, chopped
- 6 sprigs parsley, chopped
- 2 Tablespoons chives, chopped
- 1 lemon, zest and juice
- 1–2 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- Salt to taste (start with 1 teaspoon and add from there while tasting)
- 1.5 cups milk
- 2–4 cups Greek yogurt
Method
- Using a blender, blend all ingredients aside from the yogurt well until it looks like a cucumber smoothie.
- Add 2-4 cups of Greek yogurt (depending on how creamy you want it to be). For a thicker soup, blend for only a short time. For something thinner, run on high for a longer time. Taste for salt and adjust as needed.
- Pour and enjoy.
*The Northeast Farm to School Institute is a program of Vermont FEED, our partnership project with NOFA-VT.
July Harvest of the Month: Cucumbers
Find ready-to-go materials for the classroom, cafeteria, and community that promote seasonal eating, inspires healthy diets, and encourages the use of local Vermont foods. Run by Food Connects.
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